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Zuletzt aktualisiert am 02.09.2025
Morning, noon, or right before bed? With food or on an empty stomach? So many questions: When is the best time to take dietary supplements? Don’t worry—it’s not as complicated as it sounds. In this article, I’ll quickly show you how to take your minerals and vitamins the right way.
Your knowledge to go: When should you take dietary supplements?
When to take your supplements depends on the specific product.
Most supplements are best taken in the morning with food. There are exceptions, like iron.
The time of intake affects how well your body can absorb and utilize supplements.
Directions for use on the product packaging or leaflet give you confidence.
The best time to take supplements
Let’s get straight to the question of the day: When should you take dietary supplements? Well, it depends. In general, most supplements are best taken with a meal. It’s often recommended to take them in the morning. As with most things in life, there are exceptions, special cases, and other things to keep in mind:
Taking supplements with a meal
In particular, vitamins A, D, E, and K should be taken with a meal. Why? Because unlike other vitamins, they’re fat-soluble. That means they don’t dissolve in water but in fat. And you’ll get that fat from a tasty porridge, protein wraps, or a lasagna—in short: any meal that contains fat. This helps your body absorb and utilize them better.
My tip: “Oh no, I forgot to take my supplements” also works perfectly as an excuse to sneak in a protein bar between meals. You didn’t hear that from me!
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Many other nutrients, like calcium, are also best absorbed with a meal. This can improve not only absorption but also tolerance. Especially sensitive people (no front—same here) can experience symptoms like stomach discomfort if they take supplements on an empty stomach. That’s typical for magnesium!
By the way: Whether magnesium is better before or after training—find out here: Magnesium before or after exercise?
Very important: Such symptoms can also indicate that you don’t tolerate a product well! Please pay attention to how you feel.
So far, so good. But there’s more than one meal in a day! When exactly should you take supplements?
Morning
Some supplements are taken in the morning because they fit well with your daily rhythm. This is the perfect time for vitamin C as well as B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids & co. Take them comfortably with your breakfast.
Did you know? Whether taking vitamin D in the morning or evening is better is still unclear. What matters is that you take it with a meal.
Midday
Forgot at breakfast—or you don’t eat breakfast? When should you take supplements then? Lunch is your chance! This is also a good time for supplements you couldn’t take in combination in the morning—more on that later.
By the way: If a supplement requires multiple capsules or tablets per day, it often makes sense to take one portion in the morning and one at lunch. This supports your body and spreads out intake more—similar to a natural intake through foods.
Evening
Which vitamins should you take in the evening? Many people take certain products at night because they fit their evening routine—either with dinner or right before bed with a glass of water. For example, many take magnesium or zinc in the evening, and melatonin is typically taken shortly before sleep.
Just make sure you remember in time—don’t fall asleep with your magnesium capsule still on the nightstand.
Taking supplements away from meals
We’ve said it: many supplements should be taken with a meal. Sounds easy?
Plot twist: Some supplements should explicitly NOT be taken with meals—such as iron and probiotics. It’s best to take these on an empty stomach in the morning, at least 30–60 minutes before breakfast, to support good absorption and effectiveness.
And the question “When to take supplements?” isn’t finished yet: not only timing but also combining certain supplements can become tricky:
Which vitamins shouldn’t be taken together?
Some supplements are better taken separately because they can inhibit each other’s absorption. The best example: iron, zinc, and calcium. Take these at different times and wait at least 2 hours before the next one.
So, take iron before breakfast, calcium with lunch, and zinc before bed.
This also applies to foods: If possible, don’t take your zinc supplement with a big glass of milk.
Supplements and medications
Taking both supplements and medication? Heads up! They’re often not best friends and shouldn’t be taken at the same time. Otherwise, interactions can occur. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to be safe.
When should you take your supplements then? Easy: with another meal or snack when you’re not taking medication.
Which vitamins should be taken together?
On the flip side, there are vitamins and minerals you can easily take together—teamwork makes the dream (or supplementation) work.
Two combos often used:
Vitamin D + K2
Iron + vitamin C
You may have noticed that some of these combos are even sold as ready-made combination products.
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Tips so you don’t forget your supplements
Your issue isn’t when to take supplements, but that you forget them? No worries—been there. Here are my top tips so you (almost) always remember:
Build your own routine and make supplements a habit. If intake feels like a little ritual, you’re more likely to remember—and it’s more fun. Light a small candle, have a juice, or a favorite snack—whatever helps.
Set reminders: Many apps can remind you. Your phone alarm works too. Daily trackers to tick off can be motivating.
Out of sight, out of mind: Place products prominently on the breakfast table, etc., so you can’t miss them.
General notes on supplements
Beyond that, the usual rules and recommendations apply. It may sound like the flight safety announcement no one listens to—but please skim this:
Store your supplements cool and dry—so neither in the fridge nor the oven.
Choose high-quality supplements—products with few additives make it easier to keep track of nutrients.
Supplements are always a supplement, not a replacement for a healthy, balanced diet. Your body still loves apples, broccoli & co.
Always read the directions for use on the packaging and follow them. Don’t worry, they’re usually short—and definitely shorter than this article!
Conclusion: Which vitamins should you take when?
As you can tell, whether to take vitamins in the morning or evening is highly individual and depends on the specific product. This article gives you an initial orientation on when to take supplements. Of course, we can’t cover every possible product—that’s what the usage directions are for. Otherwise, feel free to seek medical advice anytime.
PS: Wondering whether you need supplements at all? Our articles “What are dietary supplements?” and “Which supplements should you take?” will help.
Literature
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (Hrsg.) (2014). Nahrungsergänzungsmittel. 1. Auflage.
Lebensmittelverband Deutschland e.V. (2023). Nahrungsergänzungsmittel – die wichtigsten Fakten. 2. Auflage.
Any questions? Feel free to send me an email – I look forward to hearing from you! :)
The information shared in this article does not replace individual medical or nutritional advice.
